On April 10, 2020, OSHA clarified the record ability of COVID-19 with employees as follows:

In areas where there is ongoing community transmission, employers other than those in the healthcare industry, emergency response organizations (e.g., emergency medical, firefighting and law enforcement services), and correctional institutions may have difficulty making determinations about whether workers who contracted COVID-19 did so due to exposures at work. Accordingly, until further notice, OSHA will not enforce its recordkeeping requirements to require these employers to make work-relatedness determinations for COVID-19 cases, except where: (1) There is objective evidence that a COVID-19 case may be work-related; and (2) The evidence was reasonably available to the employer. Employers of workers in the healthcare industry, emergency response organizations and correctional institutions must continue to make work-relatedness determinations pursuant to 29 CFR Part 1904. 

On this National Lineman Appreciation Day, April 13th, we salute all of the nation’s powerline workers. During these troubled times, keeping the lights on has never been more important. Thank you, lineworkers!

We are pleased to welcome Anoka Municipal Utility to the T&D PowerSkills family! AMU is a community-owned, non-profit out of Minnesota. They serve nearly 11,000 residential customers, along with over 1,300 commercial and industrial customers.

During this extraordinary health crisis, we want to make sure that employers can deliver training to their electric utility workers while observing state and federal guidelines regarding social distancing. To that end, we are TEMPORARILY LOWERING OUR PRICES for new customers to begin accessing the T&D PowerSkills training material online, with full testing and tracking features. Contact Jerry Havens our sales manager, his phone is +1 (318) 880-2259.

A special message for our customers regarding the virus. Following guidance from the State of Louisiana, operations at our office in Alexandria have been placed on hiatus to combat the spread of this deadly virus. We are still answering and fielding phone calls and emails, and we will diligently work to complete all orders as soon as it is safe for our staff to do so (once the order is lifted, presently scheduled for April 12th).  Stay safe!

Texas State Technical College, a client of T&D PowerSkills since 2008, has recently chosen to take advantage of our SCORM package for four of their campuses currently in session for lineworker training. This will allow them to continue to train future lineworkers online. Congrats to TSTC on a smart and safe choice!

If you use Genie lifts (Terex), be aware that Genie has issued a safety advisory over several models of Genie lifts which have a turntable bolt failure issue. Contact Genie online for more information

We are proud to welcome another technical school to the T&D PowerSkills family! In partnership with OG&E and with a grant from ISPC, Autry Technology Center has added to their workforce development offerings. Starting this year, Autry Tech, in Enid, Oklahoma, has added a lineworker training program!

We are proud to welcome Graves Electrical to the T&D PowerSkills family. Graves has added the Learning Management System to their training for their substation focused work. Graves Electrical completed its first independent job in 2005, but their electrical division stemmed from Graves Construction, which has been operating since 1972. 

Ferreira Construction added T&D PowerSkills Overhead Distribution-Energized training materials to their training protocols. Ferreira Construction was started in 1988, and has grown from small company to premier national contractor.

We are pleased to welcome another company to the T&D PowerSkills family: UNITED POWER, INC.! They are a member-owned, non-profit electric cooperative out of Brighton, Colorado, and they serve over 90,000 homes and businesses. They will be utilizing both our DVD-based and online LMS training models to train their apprentices and journeyman lineworkers alike, starting in January 2020!

TRACK UTILITIES, LLC out of Meridian, Idaho, has chosen the versatile T&D PowerSkills Hybrid training model to train their lineworkers. This company provides electric and telecommunications infrastructure in the Northwest and Intermountain West. Track Utilities put safety first for their employees and their customers, and T&D PowerSkills is proud to help them achieve that very important goal!

Earthcom, Inc. of Williamston, Michigan selects a custom telecommunications training package from T&D PowerSkills. Earthcom has been in business for over 20 years, designing, constructing, deploying, and maintaining wireless and fiber communication systems.

Cobra Energy LLC, a full service infrastructure company with expertise in T&D, logistics, and aviation, has two affiliates select T&D PowerSkills DVD-delivery training materials to further their commitment to safety and customer service. 5 STAR ELECTRIC, LLC (5 Star) and HIGHER POWER ELECTRICAL, LLC are both premier full-service providers of electrical construction, maintenance, and repair services, headquartered in western Kentucky and in Texas, respectively. We are proud to welcome them to the growing T&D PowerSkills family!

PLH Group, Inc. (PLH) is a nationwide energy-focused construction and related services business comprised of operating entities across North America. The PLH Group of companies deliver energy infrastructure solutions to its clients in the electric power delivery and pipeline industries. PLH has invested in the T&D PowerSkills hybrid training model using both the new Learning Management System as well as traditional DVD and workbook based training for three of its subsidiary companies: Air 2, Power Line Electric Service, and Power Line Services.

Gaylor Electric, headquartered in Indiana with additional locations in Indiana as well as Alabama, North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Florida, adds T&D PowerSkills Safety in Substations & Switchyards training to aid in their employee training. Gaylor Electric is governed by and committed to the electrical industry’s highest standards of professional integrity, performance, and cost effective services for the benefit of their clients.

T&D PowerSkills welcomes Central Iowa Power Cooperative to the family of users committed to the best lineworker training. CIPCO is a member-owned, non-profit with 13 rural electric cooperatives and associations, who have provided over 70 years of service to their member systems.

Louisiana Electric, Inc., joined the T&D PowerSkills growing LMS customer base this summer. This company prides itself on being employee-focused and setting high customer satisfaction standards. We look forward to a long relationship with them.

Tarrant County College joins the ranks of colleges using T&D PowerSkills DVD-deliverable training model to support their Electrical Line Technician program offered at their South Campus in Fort Worth, Texas. TCC is a 2-year accredited college with five campuses in Tarrant County, Texas.

Ref-Chem, a Burns and McDonnell Company, has selected the T&D PowerSkills Hybrid delivery model, blending online and DVD delivery of our training materials. Ref-Chem is a Texas-based contractor whose commitment to safety aligns with ours. Their website states the following, and we are pleased to help them in their mission: “Embracing the vision that safety saves lives and quality saves jobs.“